The standard house comes complete with a concrete slab for the patio. Most people never do anything beyond sweeping the slab or the occasional power wash to remove barbeque, beverage, and pet stains.

Pouring a basic concrete slab isn’t quite as simple as making a cake, but close. "It’s getting easier and easier, and people are getting smarter and smarter about how to do it," said Tom Stoddard, of ...

The concrete slab can be thought of as the wearing cap for the building pad and base course. A well compacted and smooth subgrade is critical to a successful slab. Slab formwork, jointing details, ...